Improvement in explosive projectiles



J. JOHNSON.

Shell.

Patented May 12, 1863.

' -j ectile.

llnifrnn Starts Parent Jon JOHNSON, or BROOKLYX, NEW YORK,

IMPROVEMENT EN EXPLOSIVE PROJECTELES.

Specification forming pal t of Letters Patcnth'oaiifiyfi ll, daied May 12, lbliil.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, J OB J OHNSON, of Brookedge 0 prevents the projectile glancing. off

lyn, in the county of Kings and State of New .York, have invent'ed'and made a certain new and useful Improvement inProj ectiles; and i do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of my said invention, reference being had to the annexed drawings, making part of this specification, where 111- Figure 1 is a longitudinal section'of my pro- Fig. 2 is an end view of the same, and Fig. .3 is a crosssection at the-line w m.

- Similar marks of reference denote the. same parts.

Projectiles have heretofore been made with a screw-cap at the rear 'endjof a powdenchamher, and also with a circular cutting-edge at the front end, and with a cap to be exploded by concussion produced when the projectile strikes any object.

The nature of my said invention consists in a cross-bar and screw fitted in a peculiar manner to-retain the'cap that closes the powder chamber, whereby the compression required between thecap and shell can be secured, and

risk of prematureexplosion, in consequence of screwing in a cap, is avoided. I also make use of a conical end to my ball, formed with a circular notched cutting-edge, within which is a cavity, so that the conical end concentrates the inertia of the ball, when fired, on a coinparatively small surface, rendering the blow much more effective than would be the case if said cuttingedge were of thediameter of the ball, or nearly so, and the said notches in the cutting-edge penetrate any article they may strike, instead of glancing off when fired at an inclination to the surface to be penetrated. I also make use of a spring-cylinder to hold on the deto'nating or percussion capat the end of a screw-rod that is driven in by the concussion of; the ball against the article penetrated, andfcauses the explosion of the shell.

In the drawings, a is the shell. I) is the conical end thereof. 0 is the notched cuttingedge around the cavity d, for the purpose of penetrating the article struck by. the ball, in consequence of the diminished area against which'athe inertia of the ball acts, and there is no point to be broken off by a blow against iron armor, as is the case with the ordinary projectiles, and the notehing of said cuttingwhen striking the article at an inclination. N c is the powder-chamber, and f is a cap fitted to the rear end thereof. The rear end of this powder-chamber has an interior flange, u, in which are notches 71. h, to pass the ends of the crossbar g, that is attached to the spin dle 7c, and by it can be turned, after it is passed through the said notches h, until one end of said cross-bar is arrested by the lug t.

In order to draw upon the spindle k and press the cap f to the end of the shell, I em ploy the nut Z and a screwthread cut on the said spindle k, near the outer end thereof. A head, on, is provided to said spindle k, and a washer, n, of zinc or soft metal, is introduced between the nut l and cap-f prior to the attaching of the cross-bar g, which is done by riveting the same firmly upon the end of k. XVhen the nut l is unscrewed, the bar 9 is re lieved, so that it can turn with the spindle 7;, but the nut 1 cannot be entirely detached from the head on, andwhen unscrewed back against said head'the parts bind together sufficiently to allow the spindle and crossbar to be turned in its loose condition by means of said nut;

but when said cross-bar is entered at the rearwasher n, of soft metal, effectuallyprevents the fire of theexpl-osion penetrating the chamber c. This chamber e-is to be filled with powder at anytime previous to or during an action.

1n the rear end of the shell a, I form holes,

as at p, and cast'a ring of lead or other soft metah'o, in a suitable mold, and surrounding the eapf. This ring 0, being slightly larger than the projectile, and being spread by the force of the explosion, takes the interior of the gun, whether rifled or plain; and the holes p p 19 being irregular, as shown'by dotted lines in Fig. 8, the said cap f cannot be placed-other than in a correct position.

q is a rod screwed in at f from the front end of the ball, and reaching to within a short distance of the back end of the chamber 0. This rod carries the back end the percussion-cap s, that is held upon the rod by a cylindrical I spring 1-, formed of a piece of sheet nietalrolled v \Vhat I claim, and desire to secure by Lettci's' Patent, is-

1. The crossbar l0, screw-spindle k, and internal flange, u, in combination with the cap 7', nut I, and soft-metal ring-o, fitted and acting in the manner and for the, purposes set; forth. 1

2. The spring-tube 1-, to hold on the detonating cap s, in combination with'the rodq and screw 1, that is driven in by the concus- $101], as set forth.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my signature this 4th day of November, 1862.

JOB JOHNSON.

\Vitnesses: i v

thus. II. Sm'rn, LEMUEL W. SERRELL. 

